Among the most dire groups in need of upgrading this offseason was the Patriots' offensive line, which explains Mike Vrabel's decision to use the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on the best left tackle of the incoming class. It's so far, so good with Will Campbell, thankfully, but it wasn't just addressing the blindside that needed to be dealt with.
Vrabel put the team in a hole when he decided to release longtime starting center David Andrews, who eventually chose to retire. They were also far from having a go-to right tackle, as previous regimes continued to rotate players on the right side, with Mike Onwenu being the latest to deal with that fate.
That meant the team had to look into bringing in some quality talent in free agency, which could be argued wasn't necessarily accomplished.
However, their decision to sign center Garrett Bradbury, a first-round draft pick in 2019 by the Vikings, has proven to be one of their most valuable moves of the offseason, as he is currently on pace to have the best season of his career.
The Patriots are paying pennies for what appears to be their next longtime center
Despite earning his stripes as the starting center for the Vikings over six seasons and signing a three-year extension in 2023, Bradbury was released by the team in the midst of free agency and was almost immediately signed by the Patriots.
It was deemed an unexciting and questionable move by the new regime in the eyes of many analysts and fans because most believed there was a reason Minnesota released him, and PFF grades seem to tell the story.
But he has proven to be exactly what the offense needed in a post-David Andrews era at center, as Bradbury is performing like a superstar so far. That has to hurt for the Vikings, who knew how good he was, but are now struggling in his absence.
Looking back on his 2024 season, in the first five games, he allowed 14 pressures, a sack, and accrued three penalties. In five games with the Patriots so far, Bradbury has put up an opposite performance by allowing just four pressures, no sacks, and no penalties.
That's quite a change from just one year ago and a significant boost to the Patriots' shaky offensive line over the last few years. Bradbury has already become a staple in the group and one of the most reliable players on the roster, which has made Drake Maye's job a whole lot easier, as we saw on full display against the Bills last Sunday.
Making matters even better is seeing how the Vikings are struggling in Bradbury's absence, as they are now down to their third-string center due to injuries. That could have very easily been the Patriots had they not been so quick to sign a starting-caliber player, much like they did last year. Instead, they are thriving with a first-rounder who is actively making their franchise quarterback even better.